System : 252/300DR, CDS3, Kudos Titan T88
Turntable : LP12, Radikal, Keel, Ekos SE, Adikt + Karousel on order. DV P75 mk II phono stage.
Hi, I love this forum and rarely post but would really appreciate some advice. I have another year until retirement so am trying to make some final tweaks to my system while I have the money. I’ve been lead by the Linn philosophy that the cartridge is the least important component on the LP12 and I’ve liked the idea that I have a relatively cheap consumable (Adikt).
I’ve just ordered the Karousel and a spare Adikt stylus but with one day left before the chunky Linn price rise I’m wondering if my LP12 is slightly unbalanced and I’m missing out on a nice uplift from a new cartridge. While money won’t be as plentiful in retirement, I can afford to to move to a Krystal and replace it every few years but anything higher in the hierarchy would be prohibitively expensive. I’m sure my dealer will be happy to change my Adikt order to a Krystal should I decide to go that way.
One purchase planned for 2022 is a replacement of my Dynavector P75 Mk II which I bought around 15 years ago. I’m likely to go for Lejonklou Entity (MC) or Slipsik 7 (MM) but this will be dictated by my final choice of MM/MC.
Am I a little mad to commit to a MM retirement or is anyone else with a similar spec LP12 using an Adikt?
I’m no expert on Linn but the Ekos is a top flight tonearm and no doubt it would host a considerably better cartridge from any number of manufacturers.
I espouse the same Linn philosophy. I think the answer to your question sort of depends on how much you are itching for an MC.
I have owned a P75 (Mk 3?) and found it average with an MM. The phonostage said to shine with your Adikt is the Lejonklou Gaio 2. Perhaps the Slipsik 7 that you mention, even more so.
Looking into the future, the savings by taking the Adikt/ Lejonklou option would leave you a lot left over for new vinyl. Or spoiling the grandchildren.
I do not know the phonostage but I did have an adikt with a stageline. Of course the deck was and still is not as highly spec’ed as yours.
I have an LP12 cirkus’ed plus Ekos2 plus lingo2 plus Akiva and Linto. When changing from a klyde to Akiva, I was finally happy once the deck was setup properly. This was another world compared to the adikt and klyde.
So yes your weakest links are for sure the cartridge and phonostage.
When I bought my Rega 10 a little while ago I put my Exact MM, which costs £269 on it, for very similar reasons behind you getting the Adikt. But somehow I felt that I wasn’t getting the best from the 10. So I bit the bullet and bought an Apheta 3 MC. It sounds so much better and just feels right. You have a lovely Linn setup, with the Keel and the Ekos SE, so a better cartridge makes even more sense for you. You clearly want the Krystal, you can afford it and you have only a day to secure it at the current price. Don’t think any more about it, get on the phone and get it ordered. I’m sure you’ll love it. And have a great retirement when it arrives.
I would only do this if I could afford it. I would also hate to see the grandchildren going without or any other loved ones for that matter. Like all decisions in life one has to look at priorities… From 2004 onwards HiFi (not music!!!) had a much lower priority after my upgrades.
Can you arrange to listen to a krystal? Sometimes dealers can bring an EkosSE with one fitted so that you can decide. If not demo in their demo room.
Happy retirement by the way.
Confirmation bias…I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. I don’t have any children so it’s just me, my wife and my cat and we all enjoy music so I consider it an investment to a happy retirement.
The only way to know for sure is to try out the options yourself but that does take time and money.
I like the Adikt, but only in my Ekos/Lingo deck. I tried it in the Valhalla/Ittok deck and it all sounded a bit sleepy, despite the improved midrange and tunefulness. The spritely VM95E is much better suited. Goldring rebuilt Karma MC is sitting in between the two and I may yet go back to a VM95E.
I’ve also had a Krystal with Radikal/Keel/Ekos SE and later with pre-Cirkus/Lingo/Ekos. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the Akiva but it’s still very tuneful and will be quite a lot cleaner and clearer than your Adikt. If you like the sound of modern Linn then I suspect you’ll enjoy it very much. I still think MMs make music more accessible and coherent to my ears. However, I think 95% of folks will always prefer a good MC to a good MM.
You have a deck that’s built around source first theory but not a system. Source first would have dictated a max’d out LP12 before you bought such nice speakers and amps. But I’m not sure if you think the system is unbalanced in the way it sounds now, or just in principle. Either way, my approach would be to get used to the Karousel first, then upgrade to Krystal, and finally home dem MC phono stages (including Entity) as your final retirement present. Then you’ll have 3 upgrades in 2022 and understand the influence of each, which is especially important if one of them isn’t to your taste and you need to back track.
Hi @ Wombat
Personally speaking depending on your likelihood of lots of vinyl buying if your happy with the Adikt then just enjoy it’s full performance and easy maintenance knowing it’s working at its best.
To change to another MC cart will involve more complicated setups perhaps better organised by a dealer of note and this will increase running costs.
I’d say enjoy what you have or look at other manufacturers perhaps Lyra Delos for choice.
Hope this helps.
I don’t know what your musical tastes are but I have had the pleasure of picking up decent vinyl from our local Oxfam and giving it a good clean on the okki nokki. Most are good and some throw aways. I feel also that I am doing something positive by buying it. True that my wife is not so happy with the 500 or so LPs that I’ve bought since 2005
Anyway, that would be part of enjoying the retirement
From another vantage point: Keep the P75 and get a Dynavector XX-2 low output MC, or more affordable yet, the Dynavector 20xLow out.
I have to 20 xL into a Stageline S and enjoy it.
It is easy for your dealer to set up the cartridge and it will be so simple to do a home dem on a phono stage if you are not impressed by the P75 in Dr. T mode. You might not need a new phono stage.
When purchasing my Stageline I listened to a Krystal and could not justify the additional expense over the low output Dynavector-which was a function of taste and budget.
Thank you all for your varied and valued opinions. The dealer has confirmed the change of order and that the Karousel and Krystal will be coming at the 2021 prices.
I look forward to comparing my P75 to the Entity sometime in the new year but no mad panic for that.
I feel the lower/mid specification (and older) LP12 can sound stunning with a suitable MM cart. My own ‘12 is mostly an original 1979 deck with Cirkus bearing / glued steel chassis and ‘geddon style motor supply. It tends towards a slightly diffuse and warm sound (by modern LP12 standards) so benefits from an upfront and pacey but slightly lean sounding cart like the 2M Bronze IME. The OPs deck is much more neutral and capable of making the most of a top end MC cart though.
decision